Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Giving Advice: The Value of Detail and the Importance of Realism
By Ela Newman
Instructor in Developmental Writing and in ESL
University of Texas at Brownsville
newjgea@aol.com
Student A: I have a headache.
Student B: You should go to the doctor.
Another Student A: I don’t like my boss.
Another Student B: Why don’t you look for a new job?
Does any of this sound familiar? Combinations of correct grammar and appropriate “suggestion” phrases, yet ultimately advice that seems extreme, even unnatural? In my experience, the problem usually lies in the way the dilemma is expressed.
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Tags: advice-giving, Ela Newman, teaching tips
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